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Jewish Philanthropy in Europe: Challenges and Changes - Exploring the Italian case in context
Author(s): Levi D'Ancona, Luisa
Date: 2011
Topics: Fundraising and Philanthropy, Jewish Organisations, Main Topic: Other
Abstract: This paper presents preliminary findings of a work-in-progress on contemporary European Jewish philanthropy. The purpose of the paper is to show that EuropeanJewish philanthropy exists and how it is changing. It discusses both donations within Europe and towards Israel, focusing on the case study of Italy within the broader European context. As it represents a first attempt to study European- and ItalianJewish philanthropy, this exploratory work shows how much more research is needed in the field. An important aspect that emerges from this research and which has a strong impact on the scope of the paper itself is the absence of real transparency in the field of fundraising in Italian Jewish institutions, both within Italy and towards Israel. The paper therefore suggests that it may become part of a more systematic project for enhancing transparency in Jewish philanthropic organizations to create a more competitive and clear environment for growth and impact. After discussing the factors that make European-Jewish philanthropy invisible as compared to US-Jewish giving, the paper maps out pan-European Jewish agencies and initiatives and focuses on new trends of European-Jewish giving. One of the most significant challenges to a study of European-Jewish philanthropy is its heterogeneity, forcing research to focus on one country at a time. As no research has hereto focused on Italian-Jewish giving, the paper focuses on the Italian case and presents the results of the first survey on Italian-Jewish philanthropy focused on both institutions and private donors. Within the limits of available data, it presents mostly qualitative findings on trends of donations within Italian-Jewish organizations, on profiles of Italian-Jewish donors and the changing dynamics of modalities of giving. Findings on Italy are then compared with UK- and French-Jewish giving—as these represent the countries with the largest Jewish populations in Western Europe. This comparison shows how Italian-Jewish philanthropy is at the beginning of processes of change that are already well underway in other European countries. The paper concludes with recommendations on directions for further research, in addition to policies of better transparency